Railway-signal



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES IVAYLAND, OF NElVARK, NElV JERSEY.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,263, dated October 13, 1896.

Application filed April 14, 1896. Serial No. 58'7A57. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES AYLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrically-controlled railway-signals, the object being to provide a signal which may be set and released by electromagnetic agencies.

In carrying out the invention I provide at the side of the railway'track an electromagnetic device capable of positively actuating the signal, said device being controlled by a circuit from the track influenced by the presence of a train, and provide for cutting said device out of circuit after it has been actuated and energizing an auxiliary device which holds the signal in the position to which it was set while the train remains in the protected region of the track. The auxiliary device is wound to a higher resistance than the motor device, thereby economizing the battery or other electric generator employed to furnish the operating power. The motor device I employ comprises an electromagnet having a long range of movement and capable of exerting suflicient power to positively operate the signal device.

The several features of novelty of the invention will be hereinafter more fully described and will be definitely indicated in the claims appended to this specification.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates my invention, is shown in side elevation, partly in section, a signal embodying my improvements.

1 represents a signal-post placed adjacent to a railway-track, (indicated at 2.) The track is divided into sections, the rails of which are suitably bonded or otherwise connected together at the joints to form a good electrical conductor of each rail throughout the length of the section. My signal may, however, be employed with any system of control and is not limited in application to a system containing a track-circuit. On the signal-post is mounted a motor-magnet 3, comprisinga core having pole-pieces 4; at the ends, and wound with alow-resistance coil. Cooperating with each pole-piece is an armature mounted on a yoke 5, journaled in hearings in suitable standards 6. Each armature is provided with a curved wing 7 and iron face and cheekplates 8 9 to cooperate with the several faces of the pole-pieces in producing a strong tractive effort or torque when the magnetcoil is energized. The parts of the magnet, including the armature parts and yoke, are made of iron to afford a good magnetic path for the lines of force developed by the coil.

Secured to the lug 5 is a yoke or step 10, havin ga rounded or convex face on top, on which rests a rod 11, mounted to slide vertically in hearings or guide-plates 12 12. The rod, which should be made of non-magneticma terial, such as brass, is secured to a tubular nut 13, the upper end of said nut being inwardly flanged and cooperating with a headed rod 15, the nut being sufficiently long to permit rod 11 and the nut to be raised by magnet 3 to bring the disk-armature up to the tubular magnet, thus giving the semaphore time to change its position after the magnet has acted. The tubular nut slips on rod 15, which terminates in a turnbuckle 16, secured to a chain 17, the latter being connected with a disk or crank 18 on an arbor carrying the semaphore or other signal device 19.

The signal device is weighted at 20, so as to overbalance the weight of the chain and rod 15 when the motor-magnet has acted and lifts rod 11, thus permitting the signal to drop to danger, but when the motor-magnet and the locking-magnet are deenergized the additional weight they impose suffices to raise the semaphore to a safety position, as shown in full lines in the drawing. Thus the rod 11 and the tubular nut act as a controllable counterweight depending for its operation upon the action of the electromagnets. Rod 11 carries a disk-armature 21, the position of which may be adjusted by a set-screw'22, said armature cooperating with a tubular magnet 23, wound to a considerably higher resistance than magnet-3. The rod 11 passes through the tubular iron core 24. The edge of the iron sleeve 25 on the outside lies in the same horizontal plane with the face of the core. A band or annulus of thin brass or other non-magnetic material 26 is secured to the armature to prevent it freezing fast by residual magnetism to the core of the magnet. Magnet 3 is included in a circuit containing a local battery 27, which circuit is controlled by the presence of a train in the guarded track-section. One simplemode of accomplishing this result is shown in the drawing, the circuit terminating in the opposite rails of the guarded section. Rod 15 carries a circuit-breaker 28, which bridges fixed contacts 29 29, included in the circuit of magnet 3. The circuit-breaker is so adjusted that when the signal is set at a danger position the circuit will be opened by the contact-springs of the circuit-breaker being raised out of engagement with the contacts 29 29. The high-resistance magnet is placed in shunt relation to the magnet 3 and the circuit-breaker.

The operation will now be understood.

\Vhen the circuit of magnet 3 is closed by the presence of a train, the wheels of which bridge the opposite rails of the track, its armature is drawn up and the rod 11 is raised, the end of said rod riding over the arc-shaped face of step 10. The semaphore then countel-balances the rod 15 and its connected parts and assumes a danger position. Armature 21 is then raised into the magnetic field of the tubular magnet, and simultaneously the circuit of magnet 3 is opened at the circuitbreaker and the entire strength of the battery is thrown on the tubular magnet, which thus locks the signal in the danger position so long as the train remains in the guarded section or a single pair of wheels remains therein. Since the circuit-breaker holds open the circuit of magnet 3, another train following the one which has passed into the section will be held up until the section is clear, when the auxiliary magnet will be denergized by the opening of the circuit at the rails, and the signal will assume a safety position by reason of the additional weight of rod 11, which is then free from the influence of the lockingmagnet. It will thus be seen that the magnet 3 is energized only for momentary intervals, the signal being maintained in a clanger position while the train remains in the guarded section by the auxiliary magnet, which being wound to a much higher resistance uses less power, thereby greatly economizing the battery.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ise 1. A railway-signal comprising a magnetic signal-operating device controlled by the presence of a train, a circuit-breaker operated thereby for opening the circuit when the signal is operated, an auxiliary tubular magnet through which the signal-rod passes, said magnet being in a shunt of high resistance around the magnetic signal-operating device and the circuit-breaker, an armature carried by said rod, and connections for energizing the tubular magnet when the signal is operated.

2. A railway-signal comprising an electromagnetic signal-operating device controlled by a track-circuit, a signal device controlled thereby, means for overweighting the same to give it a definite normal tendency, step 10, actuated by the controlling-magnet, and a sliding rod 11 connecting with the signal device and normally resting on said step but disconnected therefrom.

3. A railway-signal comprising a signaloperating magnet in a circuit including the track-rails, a circuit-breaker actuated by the signal, and a high-resistance magnet surrounding the signal-operating rod and cooperating with an armature carried by said rod, said magnet being in a shunt around the operating-magnet and the circuit-breaker.

4. In a railway-signal, an electromagnetic operating device controlled by the presence of a train, a signal-rod, of non-magnetic material, a semaphore connected therewith, a tubular magnet through which said rod passes, said magnet having its coils between two concentric shells of iron, an armature carried by the rod, and connections for energizing the magnet when the signal is operated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of April, A. D. 1896.

JAMES VAYLAND. lVitnesses RoBT. I-I. READ, LAVINIA JACKSON. 

